END OF AN ERA
Iconic 200-year-old department store confirms date it will close for good in ‘sad day’
Devastated locals weighed in on the shock closure
A MAJOR department store chain has confirmed what date it will close its doors after welcoming in punters for over two centuries.
Frasers Group, which has run the store since the 1970s, devastated locals when it announced it would shutter Jolly's in Bath.
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A closing down sign has been posted on the windows of the building stating that all stock must go.
The store has stood up since 1823 and is one of Europe's oldest department stores.
It will welcome in punters for the final time on February 22, SomersetLive .
Devastated locals weighed in on the news on social media.
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"My Aunty Betty worked [there] when I was a young women," one said.
"Now 60. It was a beautiful, stylish building. Harrods in Bath.
"What a terrible shame. Bath will not be the same."
A second added: "Heartbreaking, actually really sad."
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"House of Fraser went into administration in August 2018 and since then the council has been working hard to ensure a secure future for this flagship store at the heart of the Milsom Quarter," A statement from Bath and North East Somerset Council, who own the building, previously said.
"A significant element of the plan is to make Jolly's once again the anchor store for Milsom Street, and a programme of works, which are already underway, will see significant investment in the building over the coming months.
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"The council was unaware of the intention of the current occupier to put up the notices which have appeared in the windows of the store.
"While plans are at an advanced stage with a third party occupier, the council is not in a position to make a formal statement at this time in relation to its proposals for the future of one of Bath’s most important department stores.
"However, the intention is that a joint statement with this third party will be made at the appropriate time."
It comes as the owners of the Jolly's brand Frasers are planning a revamp of its House of Frasers stores - with plans to close or convert them.
House of Fraser was saved from collapse by billionaire businessman Mike Ashley back in 2018.
But while the deal saved the chain's 59 stores and 17,000 workers who were facing the axe many more stores have closed in recent years.
Today just 28 department stores remain with the closure of the Bluewater branch dropping this number even further.
Over the past few months, the chain has called time on several of its shops.
One in Cabot Circus shopping centre, Bristol, was gone in August Birmingham, Cardiff and Guildford all saw closing down signs plastered across the windows.
Shoppers were rushing to the sales as the branches prepared to shut for good.
TROUBLE ON THE HIGH STREET
The news comes amid a challenging time for the whole of the UK’s retail sector.
High inflation coupled with a squeeze on consumers' finances has meant people have less money to spend in the shops.
Also, the rising popularity of online shopping has meant people are favouring digital ordering over visiting a physical store.
This ongoing trend has seen brands such as Paperchase vanish completely.
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More recently Dobbies said it will close 12 of its shops before the end of the year as part of a major restructuring.
And Homebase is also set to close six stores before January and the future of 49 sites hangs in the balance as it deals with the fallout of its administration.
Why are retailers closing stores?
RETAILERS have been feeling the squeeze since the pandemic, while shoppers are cutting back on spending due to the soaring cost of living crisis.
High energy costs and a move to shopping online after the pandemic are also taking a toll, and many high street shops have struggled to keep going.
The high street has seen a whole raft of closures over the past year, and more are coming.
The number of jobs lost in British retail dropped last year, but 120,000 people still lost their employment, figures have suggested.
Figures from the Centre for Retail Research revealed that 10,494 shops closed for the last time during 2023, and 119,405 jobs were lost in the sector.
It was fewer shops than had been lost for several years, and a reduction from 151,641 jobs lost in 2022.
The centre's director, Professor Joshua Bamfield, said the improvement is "less bad" than good.
Although there were some big-name losses from the high street, including Wilko, many large companies had already gone bust before 2022, the centre said, such as Topshop owner Arcadia, Jessops and Debenhams.
"The cost-of-living crisis, inflation and increases in interest rates have led many consumers to tighten their belts, reducing retail spend," Prof Bamfield said.
"Retailers themselves have suffered increasing energy and occupancy costs, staff shortages and falling demand that have made rebuilding profits after extensive store closures during the pandemic exceptionally difficult."
Alongside Wilko, which employed around 12,000 people when it collapsed, 2023's biggest failures included Paperchase, Cath Kidston, Planet Organic and Tile Giant.
The Centre for Retail Research said most stores were closed because companies were trying to reorganise and cut costs rather than the business failing.
However, experts have warned there will likely be more failures this year as consumers keep their belts tight and borrowing costs soar for businesses.
The Body Shop and Ted Baker are the biggest names to have already collapsed into administration this year.
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